By: Courtney James
Grocery stores are one of those not so obvious features that definitely have an impact on real estate property values. It’s not something that people generally discuss when they are telling me their list of must-haves. However, it almost always comes up when we are in the car driving from house to house. It seems that recently people have been more inquisitive about places that might sell locally grown food. We are lucky in Durham to have a wonderful Farmer’s Market that in the summertime is open on Wednesday afternoons as well as Saturday mornings. Other than the Farmer’s Market though, there are no strong options for local food. I am hopeful that this soon will change.
For those of you that do not know, Durham Central Market is a new neighborhood cooperative grocery, aiming to locate in the heart of Durham. Durham Central Market follows the owner/member model of local co-op groceries, like Weaver Street Market in Carrboro and Chatham Marketplace in Pittsboro, but with a distinctively Durham flavor. As of a couple weeks ago they committed to a location at the corner of Mangum and Broadway Streets, two blocks from the fabulous Farmer’s Market.
This month they are asking for all of us to spread the word to get new members. To date they have 650 members and are hoping to get 1000 by summer’s end. I bought my share as soon as I learned about the organization. I strongly suggest you do the same! It’s a one-time $100 share purchase. Visit their website today and join the Durham food revolution!!
www.durhamcentralmarket.org
Features of a Cooperative:
- Co-ops are owner and democratically controlled by their members – the people who use the co-op’s services or buy its goods – not by outside investors.
- Co-op members elect their board of directors from within their membership.
- Co-ops return surplus revenues to members proportionate to their use of the cooperative, not proportionate to their investment or number of owner shares.
- Co-ops are motivated not by profit, but by service – to meet their members’ needs for affordable and high quality goods or services.
- Co-ops exist to serve their members.